January is normally the time when Bayern Munich break away from the pack to win yet another Bundesliga championship, so time is of the essence for the rest of the pack.
For a while, it looked like Bayern Munich were about to be dethroned as Union Berlin were surprisingly on top because of their hot start. But the law of averages has kicked in, and now the Bavarians are back at the summit.
Bayern Munich have 34 points, which is at least four points above the others. SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Union Berlin round out the top five with 30, 28, 27, and 27, respectively.
Needless to say, the 16th matchday of the Bundesliga is going to be a pivotal one. So, read on below as SBOTOP examines the top three games to look forward to this weekend.
RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are going to face another Red Bull outfit on Sunday night, and it counts this time. They are fresh from a 4-4 draw against RB Salzburg in club friendlies – their first competitive match since before the World Cup break.
Julian Nagelsmann mixed it up against Salzburg, fielding regular starters and a couple of youngsters. They could’ve gotten the win, but they couldn’t stop Noah Okafor from scoring the equaliser in the 89th minute.
Sadio Mane is still out with a leg injury, but he’s making progress. Nagelsmann has been using either Thomas Muller or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as their main striker as a result.
But the key man to look out for is Jamal Musiala, as the 19-year-old has emerged as a star for Bayern Munich this season with nine goals and eight assists.
As for RB Leipzig, they are going to be led once more by Christopher Nkunku and Timo Werner, who have generated 21 goals and three assists so far this season, while World Cup stars Dani Olmo and Josko Gvardiol are also going to give Bayern Munich problems.
The Bavarians have dominated the Red Bulls in their head-to-heads, including a league double last season. In terms of recent form, both teams enter this year still unbeaten.
A victory for Bayern Munich would extend their table lead to at least seven points, while the same outcome for RB Leipzig would pull them closer within three points and overtake SC Freiburg in the process.
VfL Wolfsburg vs SC Freiburg
The next one is the battle between the second-and seventh-seeded teams. Both clubs head into this game in imperious form, as they’ve won four of their last five league matches.
SC Freiburg are one of the surprise packages this season. They’re the third-best backline in the Bundesliga with only 21 goals conceded thus far.
Matthias Ginter and Christian Gunter are the main reasons why they’re great at the back. Meanwhile, Vincenzo Grifo, Michael Gregoritsch, and Ritsu Doan are capable of producing Bundesliga 2023 highlights.
VfL Wolfsburg are thriving under Niko Kovac. They enter 2023 high in confidence, especially after ending 2022 with four consecutive wins by an aggregate score of 11-1.
Maximilian Arnold has been at the forefront of the Wolves’ revival, as he has started every game so far this season, generating three goals and two assists. Lukas Nmecha, Ridle Baku, and Yannick Gerhardt can light up the scoreboard too.
SC Freiburg achieved a league double over VfL Wolfsburg last season, but their head-to-heads indicate that they’re evenly matched since in their last 36 meetings, both have won 14 times as well as eight draws.
Union Berlin vs Hoffenheim
Union Berlin moved to the top of the Bundesliga for the first time in their history after beating Koln on matchday 6 and they held that position until matchday 13.
However, a three-game winless streak at the end of 2022 – combined with Bayern Munich’s run – has knocked them out of the top four, so they’ll look to prove that their early-season efforts were not a fluke by defying the Bundesliga 2023 odds.
For them to get back on the winning track, Sheraldo Becker must find the back of the net once more. The 27-year-old winger is their best attacker this term, with eight goals and four assists.
Like Union Berlin, Hoffenheim are also in a rut. They’ve lost three straight to end 2022, and they’re now only four points adrift from the relegation zone.
The addition of Kasper Dolberg via loan could help Hoffenheim since he adds to their attacking corps. After playing sporadically at Sevilla earlier this season, the Danish forward has a chip on his shoulder and is ready to prove his worth at Sinsheim.
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